サングァチグァーシ (or also spelled サングヮチグヮーシ) Sangwachi gwashi is the Okinawan words for third month (March) sweets. In kanji it looks like 三月菓子, the first 2 characters meaning 3rd month (san gatsu in Japanese) and the next 2 characters meaning sweets/snacks (kashi in Japanese).

Why March? Because of Girls Day! But this is during the lunar calendar (which Okinawans still use to celebrate traditional/religious holidays, unlike most mainland Japanese).

Sangwachi gwashi is very similar to sata andagi, except it is longer and slightly different dough. It is sort of a sweetened fried dough. It is traditionally eaten at the beach on March 3rd of the lunar year (旧暦の3月3日), Hamauri 浜下り, the Okinawa version of Girls Day. On Hamauri, Okinawan families take their daughters down the beach and purify them with ocean water.

This year, one of my dear students made some for me to enjoy and it was indeed delicious. I am fortunate to teach Eikawa (English Conversation) to a group of older ladies and one gentleman; honestly they teach me as much as I teach them.

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